|
TRENTON
– The Galloway Township man who allegedly
threw his infant daughter from the Driscoll
Bridge on the Garden State Parkway on Feb.
16 was charged with murder today, Attorney
General Paula T. Dow and Criminal Justice
Director Stephen J. Taylor announced.
According
to Director Taylor, the Division of Criminal
Justice filed a complaint charging Shamsiddin
Abdur-Raheem, 21, of Galloway Township,
with murder. The complaint was filed in
Superior Court in Middlesex County. The
first-degree charge carries a sentence of
30 years to life in state prison.
“We
have charged the father with murder after
obtaining evidence and information corroborating
initial reports that he threw the baby from
the bridge,” said Attorney General
Dow. “While our ongoing exhaustive
search has not located the victim, we are
moving forward with our investigation and
our pursuit of justice in this tragic case
of domestic violence.”
According
to the complaint filed in court, Abdur-Raheem
allegedly caused the death of the infant,
Zara Malani-lin Abdur, while parked on the
southbound shoulder of the Garden State
Parkway on the Driscoll Bridge in Woodbridge
Township. He allegedly pushed or threw the
victim from the front passenger window of
his Dodge Caravan into the Raritan River.
“This
is now a murder case,” said Director
Taylor. “We continue to urge any member
of the public who may have information about
this crime to contact the Division of Criminal
Justice or the State Police through our
confidential tip lines.”
Information
can be reported confidentially by calling
the State Police at 732-264-4150
or the Division of Criminal Justice at 1-866-TIPS-4CJ.
Abdur-Raheem
was previously charged in Essex County with
kidnapping and attempted murder, both first-degree
offenses, for allegedly abducting the infant
from the apartment of her maternal grandmother
in East Orange. He was also charged with
endangering the welfare of a child (2nd
degree) and two counts of aggravated assault
(2nd degree).
Superior
Court Judge Frederick P. DeVesa, Presiding
Criminal Part Judge in Middlesex County,
set bail for Abdur-Raheem at $2 million
on the murder charge and is scheduling a
first appearance for the defendant. Abdur-Raheem
is being held in the Essex County Jail.
The
murder charge was filed by Deputy Attorneys
General Andrew C. Fried and Paul Salvatoriello
of the Division of Criminal Justice, and
Detectives Harry McDermott and Timothy P.
Coyle of the New Jersey State Police.
The
infant was in the care of her 60-year-old
maternal grandmother in an apartment in
East Orange at the time of the alleged abduction
on Feb. 16. The infant’s mother had
custody of the child and obtained a restraining
order against Abdur-Raheem that same day.
Shortly after 4 p.m., Abdur-Raheem allegedly
forced his way into the grandmother’s
apartment, struck the grandmother in the
face and choked her. Abdur-Raheem allegedly
took the infant girl.
The
grandmother followed Abdur-Raheem outside
and got in front of his vehicle in an attempt
to stop him. Abdur-Raheem allegedly tried
to run the grandmother over, striking her.
That is the basis for the attempted murder
charge filed previously. He then drove away
with the baby.
Abdur-Raheem
was arrested that night at a family member’s
home in Winslow Township after the family
member called police shortly after 8 p.m.
to report that Abdur-Raheem was at the house.
Police received information at that time
that Abdur-Raheem allegedly threw the infant
from the bridge, and the State Police immediately
commenced an intensive search.
Before
his arrest, Abdur-Raheem had gone to see
his imam, his Islamic religious leader,
in Atlantic City, and the imam drove him
to the home of the relative who called police.
The
missing infant was reported to be wearing
a green Carter’s onesie and may have
been wrapped in a blue sleeping bag.
The
investigation has been conducted by the
New Jersey State Police, Division of Criminal
Justice, East Orange Police Department,
Winslow Township Police Department, Essex
County Prosecutor’s Office and Middlesex
County Prosecutor’s Office. The case
will be prosecuted by the Division of Criminal
Justice.
The
kidnapping charge carries a maximum sentence
of 30 years in state prison, and the attempted
murder charge carries a maximum sentence
of 20 years in state prison. Second-degree
charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years
in state prison.
The
charges are merely accusations and the defendant
is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
### |
